to the accepting of grace in the article of conversion is hereticall in so far as it is contradictorie to the sayings of the Apostle Who hath separate thee what hast thou that thou hast not received A likewise It is not the runner nor the witter but God that showeth mercie Lastly the Romanists prove hereticall in the cooperation of mans will with grace giving unto it not only a proper working by it selt but also the first place setting God beside the coushen in the second roome which hath a flat opposition to the Apostles words I dare not faith he speak of any thing which Christ hath not worught by mee to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed As also that every good gift and perfect donation is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights I may joine to the roâ—mer heresies these of the Semipâ—lagians of Massilia touching conditionall predeltination and free will mentioned by Prosper and Hilarius to Augustine which are now refined by the Jesuits and goe most curient in the Romane church as best coine to be layed up in the treasurie of mans merits and rightreousnesse The meanest of these foresaids heresies against faith are of greater moment then the old heresies of the Quartodecimani c. recorded by 〈◊〉 Epiphanius and Augustine Neither have these pesâ—â—erous weeds of heresies spread their roots to the suppression of Faith but also to the destruction of the law Teach they not that divine worship is to bee given to creatures against the first Commandment images to bee worshipped against the second and dispensation with perjuries against the third Saints dayes are among them in greater estimation then the Lords day contrare to the fourth commandement they liberate children from obedience to parents and Subjects from the oath of Alleadgance to their native Princes against the fift They yoak Christian Princes in bloodie wars and persecute the Saints of GOD to death contrare to the sixt They allow incestuous marriages and tolerat stewes prohibite in the seventh they transferre Kingdomes and Empires at their arbitrement being a great injustice contrare to the eight they tolerat lies equivocations and mentall reservations prohibite in the ninth and lastly they deny concupisence to be formally sin after baptisme as if in any article of time it might be said of man that he is without all sin Since then this Romish Babylon is so fraughted with heresies let us all obey the voice of God from heaven and come out of her least being partakers of her sins we receive of her plagues If it be demanded when and how these errours came in and what was the cause that being so grosse and palpable they get such acceptance of the learned I answere that many errours and a-abuses have creept in into the Romane church even of late since the reformation began by the Valdenses As that superstitious festivitie of the forged transubstantiat bread into the body of Christ jubilees depriving the laicks of the cup erecting of images in resemblance of the blessed Trinitie schoole divinitie more Aristotelian then Scripturâ—li diverse orders of begging Monks Jesuites and others bowing at the name of Jesus and now lastly Pelagianisme doth prevaile so far in the doctrine of election conversion and freewill that GODS grace is made a subservient cause to nature and the immaculate and pure conception of the blessed Virgine without originall sin against reason and Scripture is now almost universally maintained These I say are the late cockle and dornell that have sprung up sowne by that ill One since the light of reformation so that the light of GODS word hath beene to them as the Sun to the clay to harden them more and more As to the errours before the reformation though they pretend antiquitie it shall be found that some of them were unknown to the church for many hundred years and the most ancient of them hath nothing but an humaine antiquitie which being compared with Divine antiquitie is but a meer noveltie Where was that doctrine of prayer for the dead in the dayes of Irenaeus who lived in the 180. year of God and some others about these times and long after who thought the souls to rest in subterranean places till the last Judgement Where was the antiquitie of worshipping the Crosse when Minucius Felix who flourished in the 206. year of God averreth in the person of Octavius his dialogist that Christians did neither wish nor worship crosses Where was images in the church when they were condemned in the councel holden at Eliberis And Epiphanius who lived in the 370 year of God seeing a vail haying in it the Picture of Christ or some saint as hee sayeth hung without the door of the temple of Anabletâ—a moved with an holy indignation did cut the same in twaine which doing is approven by Hierome Was the worship of Angels received in the church when the councill of Laodicea did prohibit the same and Theodoret who lived in the 430. year of God in his commentar upon the 2 Colâ—ss condemneth it likewise Doeth not Gregorie bishop of Rome about the 600 yeare of God writing to Serenus bisop of Marsilia condemne the worship of images Was the Saints worshipped in the church when Augustine who was in the 420. year of God in his book de verarelig affirmeth that they did honour the saints with charitie and with noworship And in his 22. book of the Citie of God We name the Saints saith he when wee pray but we do not pray to them Was not these books which now the Romane church accounteth to be Canonick Scripture esteemed to be Apocryph in the councell of Laodicca and by Hierome in his prologue called Galâ—atus and by the Christian church in these dayes Was the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unknowne to the Ancient church when Augustine in his Enchiridian ad Laurentium clearely averreth the same as also Bernard in the larter dayes Was the title and power of Oecumenick or universall bishop received and approved in the church of Christ when Gregorie the great did averre that whosoever did assume that style was either the Antichrist or the foreâ—unnâ—r of the Antichrist Or was the supremacie of the Pope over the church acknowledged when Polycrates with the rest of the eastern bishops did resist Victor bishop of Roâ—e The holy Martyr Cyprian did resist Stâ—phanus and Cornâ—lius both bishops of Rome And the bishops of Africk in the Milevitan councell whereat Augustine was present did inhibite all transmarine appellations to the Sea of Rome Was the doctrine of the substantiall changing of the bread in the body of Christ nothing remaining of the bread but naked accidents received and approved when Theodoret plainly affirmeth that the bread doth abide in its substance unchanged The same doeth Gelasius bishop of Rome after him Bertrame and Scotus one of their chiefe schoolemen testisyeth lib.
the same lyking better the Mosarabick and that of Isidorus then the Romane Liturgie The religious Votaries of Bangor resisted the Romane liturgie till blood and death What opposition was made against single life of Church-men in Germanie England and many other places it is notore to all that are not strangers in historie When images were received in the Kirk with a relative worship about the seven hundred year of GOD the Germanâ— and French bishops did resist the same and a Councel was holden by Charles the great in Germanie at Franksurd where images with their worship were condemned and the books yet extant called Libri Caroli magni do evidence the same A little after this there arose some disputes about the manner of Christs presence in the Sacrament when the seeds of Transubstantiation were in sowing Bertram stirred up by GOD did oppose the same The like did Scotus Erigena Rabanus and after these Beringarius till Pope Innocentius the third with his prevailing faction in the 1215. year of GOD did determine that monstrous errour of Transubstantiation A litle before this time Hildebrand bishop of Rome was not only content to liberat himself from the investure of the Emperours but also did subject the Imperiall crown to this Priestly mitre and thereby put the Christian world in a combustion which he effectuat not without great opposition even of the Cleargie for the Cleargie of Germanie did resist and many Divines did account him to be the Antichriâ—â— And in this his more then sacrilegious jurisdiction usurped over the Kirk of Christ in councels not only the Cardinall of Arles Sorbonists of Parise but the generall councel holden at Constans did oppose and condemne And in late dayes Valla Erasmuâ— Beatus Renanus with many others though they lived in the societie of the Romane Kirk did condemne many errours and abuses therein Besides these publick Opponents there were many thousand private Opponents who were as these seven thousand in the Church of Israel who bowed not their knees to Baal but if not openly yet secretly did oppose the same as Nicodemus lived amongst the Pharisees and Joseph of Arimathea amongst the Counsellours who condemned Christ and these who had not defiled themselves but followed the Lamb mentioned Revel 14. 4. There were thirdly many whose eyes GOD did illighten in the article of death who not finding any comfort in the intercession of Saints and doctrine of merits and therefore leaving these impure cisternes had their recourse to the living fountaines of waters which did spring out of the intercession and merits of Christ to the eternall refreshment of their souls If it bee replyed how the Romane Kirk being as we call an adulterous Church could beget Children to GOD as also being a false and corrupt Church how shee could bring furth Orthodoxe and true professors I answer An adulterous woman may bring surth Children to her Husband and to her Paramours as is evident Hos chap. 2. vers 2. Pleade with thy mother saith the LORD That shee put away her whoordomes from betwixt her breasts c. Here sons of GOD and yet their mother is an adulteresse Sons of GOD they are because they plead for GOD against their mother for her adulteries So an adulterous Kirk may beget children to GOD as also a false and corrupt church may beget true professors As the Jewish Church in the dayes of Christ for the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisies did infect the same and Christ commandeth his Disciples to beware of that leaven and yet to obey the Scribes and Pharisees as they sate in the chaiâ—e of Moses By their leaven Pharisees did poyson the soules of many to their destruction and sitting in the chaire of Moses teaching the Law of Moses and not their owne inventions did beget children to GOD. After this manner the voice of Christ and the voice of the Antichrist sounding in the church of Rome thereby children was begotten to Christ and the Antichrist Thevoice of Christ was heard in holy Scriptures written for our consolation the voice of the Antichrist is heard in his traditions The voice of Christ is heard in the administration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper the voice of the Antichrist in the administration of his five bastard sacraments The voice of Christ is heard in the saving doctrine of his merite and righteousnesse the voice of the Antichrist is heard in the doctrine of the merite and righteousnesse of man The voice of Christ is heard in the blood of Christ that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel the voice of the Antichrist in the forged satisfactorie blood of Martyres If it be demanded how in the Romane church the voice of Christ was known and distinguished from the voice of the Antichrist I answere That Gods children have a discretive judgement given unto them whereby they know the voice of Christ from the voice of the Antichrist My sheep hear my voice sayeth Jesus Christ and they follow me And this should not seeme strange for if the lambe amongst the bleeting of ten thousand sheep can discerne the voice of her mother much more the lambs of Christ Jesus can discerne the voice of their Father and Sheepheard Christ Jesus And since GOD hath given by a naturall instinct unto the beasts by smell and taste to discerne what hearhes are wholesome and convenient for their food and what noysome shall wee not think that GOD much more will enable by his grace and Spirit his owne children bought with no lesse price then the blood of his Son to discerne what is hurtfull what conduceable for their salvation Neither will it follow by any necessare inference that the Romane kirk is a true Kirk because by it children are begotten to God seeing this falleth out not properly but accidentally for Papacie tendeth not to beget children to Christ but to Antichrist Therefore obey this voice from Heaven and come out of Babylon The reasons to move us to come out of Babylon here mentioned are two her sinnes and her plagues for her sins Sins and plagues are copulative Who so sinneth shall bee plagued Therefore if we partake of her sins we shall partake of her plagues If it be asked what be these her sins I answere what sins do not reigne in her But passing the generall I will mention five sins in speciall for the which Babylon shall bee plagued and destroyed viz. Pride Crueltie Deceit Idolatrie Heresie Such is her pride that although there be besides her the Kirkes of Grece Syria Africa and Ethiopia which disclaime her power as Antichristian yet shee arrogantly usurpeth the title of the Catholick church as proper and due only to her when in effect shee is neither the Catholick Kirk nor a sound member of the same Pride also in a high degree possesseth all her Cleargie The meanest Priest is stiled as a Knight and the meanest Nunne as a Ladie of Honour Bishops and Archbishops are as Lords and
4. Senten that before the Lateran councell which was near twelve hundred years after Christ transubstantiation was no article of Faith In the Romane church the innocent person whether man or woman is debarred of the benefite of marriage after divorce This was not of old as is manifest out of Fathers Councels and Decrees of the bishops of Rome Was auricular confession thought to bee of Divine authoritie and necessare for salvation when Nectarius a learned and godly bishop of Constantinople did abrogate the same which also Chrysostome his successor did reject as unnecessare The like did after him Cassianus and in these our later ages Cardinall Cajetan â— Rhenanus and Erasmus Was the lording power of prelates over Presbyters received when they could determine nothing without their consent as is certaine out of Cyprian and the fourth councell of Carthage Why are Presbyters now debarred from a definitive voice in councell which they had and enjoyed in the Christian church for many hundred years As is manifest out of many Councels as the second holden at Rome and these of Eliberis Sinuessa the fifth Toletan and that late Councel of Constans as is related by AEnaeas Sylvius in that hote contest which was between Panormitan and the Cardinal of Arels Do not this day in the Romane church Archimandritae do not the generals of religious orders to this day voice in their Councels And both of them are but Presbyters no Prelats These and many mo pretended antiquities in the Romane Church are nothing but meer novelties As to the precise periode of time when every errour did enter into the Church it is not requisite to be knowne When the Scribes and Pharisees asked Christ Iesus of unlawfull divocre pretending antiquitie for the same Christ answereth no other thing but that it was not so from the beginning It is sufficient then for us though we point not out the precise article of time when errour did creep in into the Church that it was not so from the beginning as we have demonstrate If they reply that the precise period of time is known when Arrianisme Nestorianisme and other heresies had their beginning I answere though it hold in some it will not hold in all Who can designe the precise period of time of unlawfull divorce Who can designe the precise period of time of idolatrie The Jewes against the word sacrifized upon Mountaines but who knoweth the precise time The Saducees believed neither Angel nor spirit and the beginning of this damnable doctrine is not agreed upon The Scribes and Pharisees leavened the word of God with their traditions and inventions But the originall of these errours who can tell Laicks were deprived of the cup at the communion which is a breach of Christs institution The private and solitare communion of the Priest without the people used daylie in the Romane church is contrare to the word of God practise of the Ancients and Canons of Councels and who knoweth the beginning thereof The communion was given unto new borne children before the use of reason and was universally received and approven in the dayes of Cyprian and Augustine and who knoweth the originall of the sameâ— The custome of the church of old was first to enjoine repentance and after the performance of it to give absolution But now in a preposterous order absolution is first keeped then penance imposed to be performed afterward The beginning of this change who can tell There was hereticks named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the source and fountaine from whence this heresie did spring was unknowne Shall we say that a man sick of a consumption is not diseased because we know not when his disease began The masse of errours wherewith the Romane Church is loadened is called a Mysterie of iniquitie because as a mysterie is dark they came in dâ—rkly And the good seed being sowen the ill One is said to have sowen cockle and darnell in the night Now as darnell and cockle while they are in the blade can hardly be discerned from wheat but in the fruit they are discerned of all so the errours of the Romane Church came in so maâ—ked and disguised that they were not perceived but when they came to the fruit and maturity then were they sensible to all that had eyes to see For clearing of this it is to be observed that three wayes errours have beene introduced in the Romane Church first Secretly next openly undercolour of law thirdly by force and violence Secretly invocation of Saints crosses images purgatorie the sacrifice of the masse authorizing of Apocrypâ— books and many other corrupt and erroneous doctrines these I say were brought in secretly and mystically by certaine degrees unknown at the first till they did show themselves in their owne colours when they came to the fruit and maturity Invocation of Saints had its originall from the festivall dayes dedicat to Saints first in the church of Smyrna for the commemoration of the martyrdome of Polyearpus bishop there but it did not stay at a bare commemoration of the death of the martyre and thanksgiving to God but this mysterie grew from a commemoration to publick banqueting in the annuall festivities of Saints and from publick banqueting to nomination in Church prayer from nomination to Rhetorick compellation and from that to invocation and consequentlie to idolatrie Likewise the signe of the crosse was used for a symbole of gloriation that Christians were not ashamed but did glorie in the crosse of Christ then it became impetrative as a virtuall prayer for sanctification thereafter operative for expelling of divels and diseases and from aeriall crosses they came to materiall crosse and from a relative worship of them to a terminative inferiour worship and from that to a divine worship Images was also first received as ornaments to beautifie the church thereafter as books to teach the unlearned then they became conduits only to convoy worship to the Samplate till at last they were adored Prayer for the dead is not founded upon scripture as Epiphanius against Aërius confesseth but upon tradition which often is deceatfull and ever uncertaine It was unknown to the apostles c their disciples and others succeding them who thought the souls to rest sequestrat in secret places expecting the second coming of Christ Afterward least the soule should seeme to be mortall and the Saints departed to be Gods as witnesseth Epiphanius they did broach this superstition which was advanced by a new conceit that the souls after this life did either reside in the outward porch of heaven before their entrie or if they were in heaven did not attaine at the first to the full fruition of God which made Augustine to pray for his father Patricius and others whom he affirmeth to be in the heavenly Hierusalem and if they were in the heavenlie Hierusalem why doth hee pray for them but that they might as hee thought come more speedily to